Method of reforming angle bars



Feb. 25, 1941. s, w U 2,232,988

METHOD OF REFORMING ANGLE BARS Filed Jan. 24, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 71715 17. Z 1:? Law/ ena? 5. M/bur Feb. 25, 1941.

1.. s. 'WILBUR METHOD OF REFORMING ANGLE BARS Filed Jan. 24, 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZYVEIZZUF Lam fence 5: M71711? Feb. 25, 1941. wlLBUR2,232,988

METHOD OF REFORMING ANGLE BARS Filed Jan. 24, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 f1 9E- 10 I/a HQ 4 [9a I9 1 27 y 27 a a0 I I Z6ii- Patented 5:15.25, 1 41UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE Carter Blatchford, Inc

ration of. Illinois Application January 24,

., Chicago, 111., a m- 1940, Serial No. 315,297

9 Claims. (01. 29-169) My invention relates to a method of treatingangle bars which are used for splicing or fastening rails, and is moreparticularly directed to the conversion of the head contact type ofangle bars into the head free type of angle bars which possessexceptional advantages as splices for either new or worn rails.

The conversion method related herein is applicable to either new or wornrail angle bars, the latter being of particular importance as a methodof prolonging the useful life of such angle bars for the purpose forwhich they were originally employed.

As is well known, an angle bar for rail joints loses its usefulness whensubjected to the pounding of train wheels over the rails which causesloss by abrasion or distortion of metal on the surfaces of the anglebars where they come in close contact with the rail heads.

Two angle bars, one on each side of the rail, with bolts binding themtogether, constitute the ordinary form of joint for fastening theadjacent ends of rails together in a track.

The greatest proportion of wear or loss occurs on the top portion of theangle bar which necessitates frequent tightening of the bar bolts todraw them toward the rail web. When the angle bars are drawn toward eachother and toward the rail web, they exert a wedging action relative tothe underside surface of the rail head and the top surface of the railfoot.

As the top portion of the angle bars and undersides of the rail headswear, the angle bars are pulled toward the rail web tocompensate for thewear, and when they bottom against the rail web no further wedgingaction is obtainable and the angle bars then require replacement.

Resort has sometimes been had to the expensive practice of cutting offthe worn ends of the rails and splicing such cut rails with new orreformed angle bars. In this practice, the reformed angle bars areprovided with a straight top edge having a uniform head contact with theunderside of the heads of the cut rails.

Another practice is to reform the worn angle bars to provide alongitudinally crowned top edge to fit the undersides of the heads ofthe worn rail ends. The objection to the latter practice is in theinability to use the reformed angle bars with new or differently wornrails.

Accordingly, it is animportant object of this invention to provide amethod for converting angle bars of the head contact type into bars ofthe head free type which take their loading engagement in the rail headfillet thereby using an entirely new bearing surface unaffected byprevious wear. This method eliminates the expensive practice of cuttingoff and discarding the worn rail ends.

Another object of this invention is to provide 5 a reformed angle barhaving a greater angular loading engagement thrust between the rail headand the rail foot than the head contact type of angle bar. This angularloading engagement provides greater stability and strength which 10effectually keeps a rail in proper alignment and provides for furthertakeup to compensate for later wear which occurs between the contactingportions of the angle bar and the rail.

A further object of the present invention is l the provision of a methodfor converting angle bars into the head free type by subjecting only thehead portion thereof to reshaping pressures.

A still further problem in the reformation of angle bars is experiencedin eliminating stress 20 cracks formed on the top surface of the anglebars which contacts the under side surfaces of the heads of the railends which are spliced together. Constant pounding on the angle bar atthis point, which is a localized area substan- 25 tially at the centerthereof, causes fine cracks to appear. If these cracks are noteliminated during the process of reforming the angle bars under heat,the cracks increase in size and serve to localize service strainscausing immediate failure 30 by fracture.

It is, therefore, another object of this invention to provide a methodof reforming worn angle bars which eliminates stress cracks therein.

A still further object of the present invention 35 is to provide areformed angle bar having smooth unbroken head surfaces.

The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, 40 however, both as to its organization and method, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section with parts in elevation,illustrating a pair ofangle bars bolted in position relative to a rail,the angle bar on the left-hand side being a worn or head contact type ofangle bar and the bar on the right- 50 hand side being a reformed headfree type of rail angle bar.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view showing an angle bar in positionbetween reshaping dies, and diagrammatically illustrating, in dottedlines, the

angle bar head ready to be formed into shape, and, in full lines, thereshaped angle bar head.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view illustrating the reshaped bar ofFigure 2 being finally reshaped in enveloping dies for smoothing thesurfaces of and normalizing the stresses in said bar.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing another embodiment ofthis invention and illustrating, in dotted lines, the angle bar headbefore being reshaped, and, in full lines, the angle bar having areshaped and offset head portion.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating, in dotted lines,the reshaped angle bar of Figure 4, and, in full lines, the angle barafter the outer face of the web has been straightened.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the method ofreshaping the head portion of an angle bar having an extending footportion.

Figure 7 is an. elevational end view showing still another embodiment ofthis invention illustrating, in dotted lines, the original or worn anglebar head portion, and, in full lines, the reshaped head portion havingits upper inner corner displaced in a diagonal direction to form arailfillet engaging element, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 diagrammatically illustrating astill further reshaped angle bar head.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view, somewhat similar to the endelevational view of Figure 2, illustrating another embodiment of thepresent invention and showing -a modified form of a vertically operatingreshaping die in position for reshaping an angle bar, the illustratedsection of angle bar being substantially taken along the plane indicatedby the line IX-IX of Figure 12.

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the position ofparts in completing the reshaping operation of the angle bar shown inFigure 9.

Figure 11 is a reduced side view in elevation showing an angle bar ininverted position and illustrating stress cracks which develop in a wornangle bar head.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11, illustrating a worn angle barafter the head cracks have been removed by a hollow grinding operation.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 11, illustrating a reshaped anglebar after the dieshaping operation, shown in Figure 10, is completed.

Figure 14 is a side view in elevation showing the reshaped angle bar ofFigure 13 after being subjected to a final finishing operation similarto that shown in Figure 3.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1, the reference numeral Ill generally designates a rail towhich is applied, for purposes of illustration, a pair of angle bars IIand I2. The angle bar II is a worn or head contact typ of bar which isreformed into the head free-type of angle bar I2 by the methodsdescribed herein.

The angle bars II and I2 are drawn into a wedging position by a drawbolt I3 which is tightened, as the top surface of the bar wears, by anut I4. It is to be noted that the head portion of the worn angle bar Iis drawn into engagement with the web I5 of the rail l0 eliminating anyfurther takeup or compensation for wear. In this position, the outerface of the angle bar II is disposed in angular relation with the I8,and a connecting web portion I9. The metal distribution of these threeportions is substantially maintained in the reformation operation inorder that the loading and deflection forces may be distributedproperly.

Illustrated in Figure 2, partially in full lines and partially in dottedlines, is the worn angle bar I I seated in an inverted angular positionin a holding die member 20.

Die surfaces 2|, 22, and'23 are provided in the die holding member 20,with the angular relationship between die surfaces 2| and 22 beingarranged to seatingly receive the outer surface 24 and the upper freesurface 25 of the angle bar II in such a manner as to hold the bar in aninverted angular position. The angular relationship between die surfaces2| and 23 is greater than the angular relationship between the outerface 24 of the angle bar and the worn contact surface 26 of the anglebar. This increase in angular relationship is illustrated by the acuteexterior angles A and B, the angle A being defined by the extendedplanes of the top contact surface 26 and the outer face 24, while the'angle B is defined by the extended planes of the die surface 23 and thedie surface 2|.

A vertically movable die member 21, having a slanting die surface 28, ispressed downwardly against the lower inner corner 29 of the worn anglebar head I! causing the 'metal thereof to fiow between the adjacent diesurfaces 23 and 28. It should be noted that the die surface 2| isangularly disposed away from the vertical sufficiently to allow themovable die member 21 to pass by the foot portion I8 of the angle barwithout any interference therefrom.

The resulting angle bar, as shown in full lines, is now provided with anextended portion 30 which engages with the rail fillet I6 when the anglebar is inserted against the rail, as shown in Figure 1. When in thisposition, the new top rail free surface 26' together with the adjacentunderside surface of the rail head defines a clearance angle C. In astandard rail and angle bar assembly, the angle C is approximately 8".

Likewise, the angle of the surface 26' to the horizontal, as indicatedat D, is approximately 5. These angles may, however, be varied bychanging the die surface of the die member 20 in accordance with theclearance found best suited for rail joint constructions.

Following this operation, the roughly pressed angle bar is subjected toa finishing die pressing operation, as illustrated in Figure 3.

For this operation, a pair of enveloping dies 3| and 32 are operatedtoward each other with the angle bar having the reshaped head II' heldtherebetween. These dies serve to straighten and smooth the surfaces ofthe angle bar thereby normalizing the stresses therein. It is to benoted that the shape of the dies 3| and 32 is such as to maintain theangular relationship between the end surfaces and the outer face of thebar. Should it be found necessary to increase or decrease the length ofthe bar, such a change can be effected in this final or finishingoperation by the expediency-of changing the die shapes to increase ordecrease the width of the web l3.

In its finally finished shape, the angle bar [2 engages with the rail asshown in Figure 1. The several steps illustrated show the conversion ofa 'worn or head contact type of bar, such as angle bar i-l, intothe headfree type of bar, such as angle bar 12.

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 4which shows a difierent method of obtaining the increase between theangles A and B of Figure 2. In this embodiment, the holding die member33 is provided with die surfaces 22 and 23 which are in the same angularrelationship to each other and to the dotted line 2| as are the threedie surfaces 2|, 22, and 23 in Figure 2. Instead of providing a singleslanting die surface, such as 2| of Figure 2, the die member 33 isprovided with die surfaces 2 I and 2i in angular relation with eachother.

The angularity of the die surface 2| is such that, when the worn anglebar I I is seated in the position as shown in dotted lines, removabledie member 21 slidingly engages against the corner 34 of the footportion l3 to hold the angle bar in place when die pressure is exertedagainst the head portion corner 29.

As shown in full lines, pressure exerted by the die member 21 bends thehead portion I! and a part of the web [9 back into engagement with thedie surfaces 2| and 22, and thereafter a continuation of die pressurecauses the metal of the head to flow outwardly to form the rail filletengaging portion 30, in the same manner as disclosed in Figure 2.

The resultant angle bar, shown in dotted lines in'Figure 5, is insertedbetween enveloping die members 3| and 32 and pressure exerted thereon inthe same manner as shown in Figure 3. The reshaping pressure exerted bythe die members of Figure 5 serve to shape the outer faces that were incontact with the die surfaces 2| and 2 l in a straight line keeping thesame angularity between the outer face and end surfaces thereof as inFigure 3, while at the same time smooth finishing the surfaces andnormalizing the pressures in the angle bar.

The method of reforming an angle bar having an extending leg portion 36,is illustrated in Figure 6, which is similar to the method illustratedin Figure 2. In this method, a holding die member 20 is provided withdie surfaces 2|, 22 and 23 in the same angular relationship as thatdescribed with the holding die member 20. At the upper right-hand sideof this die member, there is provided a curved surface 31 which has thesame degree of curvature as the surfaces of the angle bar 35 upon whichit rests. The movable die member 21, having a slanting die surface 28,serves to displace the metal in the head portion into a rail-filletengaging portion 30 in the same manner as previously described. Ifnecessary, dies similar to die members 3| and 32 and shaped inaccordance with the shape of the angle bar 35, can be used for smoothfinishing and normalizing the stresses in the angle bar upon completionof the rough die pressing operation as disclosed in Figure 6.

Wedging engagement between the angle bar 35 and the rail I0 is effectedin the same manner as shown in Figure 1, engagement being had, at theupper end, between .the rail-fillet engaging portion 30 and the railfillet l6, and at the bottom, between the underside portion of the footflange 36 and the upper slanting surface of the rail foot flange.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate two additional forms of angle bars of a headfree .t'y-pe, both shapes being obtained in the same manner as disclosedin Figure 2 by shaping the die members 20 and 21 in such a manner thatthe shape of the angle bars as shown will be effected.

The important object to be obtained in the angle bar disclosed in Figure7 is the displacement of the metal in the corner 29 to reform theadjacent portion of the angle bar head into a railfillet engagingportion 30 having a top surface which, when the outer face 24 of the webis in assembled vertical position on a rail, exitends above the peak 38in the original angle bar. Proper clearance .to effect a head free typeof bar is thereby obtained. The degree of clearance, similar to angle Cof Figure 1, is predetermined by the angular relationship of the diesurf-aces in the holding die member (not shown) used to effect the shapeshown. As in the case of the angle bars shown in Figures 3 and 5, theangle bar of Figure '7, if necessary, may be subjected to die pressuresfor smooth finishing and normalizing the stresses therein.

'Figure 8 illustrates, diagrammatically, another form of angle bar inwhich the head portion of the original or worn angle bar is shown indotted lines, and the reformed head portion converting the angle barinto'the head free .type is shown in full lines. In this form, therail-fillet engaging portion 30' extends beyond the peak 38, beingreformed to a point adjacent the peak. Smooth finishing and stressnormalizing may be accomplished in a manner similar to the methodsillustrated in Figures 3 and 5.

Each of the angle bars of Figures '7 and 8, wedgingly engage with therail III in the same manner as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figures 9 to 14, inclusive, illustrate a still further method ofreforming angle bars of the type previously shown.

This modification illustrates a method by which cracks in a worn anglebar head, resulting from constant pounding and flexing of the centralportions of the angle bars which engage the rail ends, are removed andthe angle bars subjected to die pressures to fill up the removedportions of the bar.

These cracks are detected in each of the worn rail angle bars by apolarizing operation. The cracks are usually confined to a very smallarea at the .top of the angle bar head at a point immediately adjacentthe ends of the rails which are spliced together. It has been found thatif the cracks are not too deep and are confined to a localized area notextending across the width of the bar head, that shallow-hollow grindingwill entirely remove the cracked area. This hollow grinding removesmetal from the top of the angle bar head and it is necessary, therefore,to provide means in the reformation of the angle bar for displacingsuificient metal from an unused portion of the bar to fill up that areathat has been ground away. The present modification effects thisobjective.

In Figure 11, there is illustrated a rail angle bar generally designatedby the reference numeral Ma and which is .provided with a plurality ofapertures 50 through its web pontion 13a for receiving the draw bolts l3by which the angle bars are held in Wedging engagement against a rail asshown in Figure 1.

The stress cracks, referred to above, are generally designated by thereference numeral 5| and, as shown, occur in thetop central portion ofthe angle bar head Ila.

The cracks 5| are ground out as shown by the hollow ground portiongenerally designated by the reference numeral 52 in Figures 9 and 12.

Illustrated in Figure 9 is the ground angle bar of Figure 12 seated inan inverted angular position in a holding die member 20, in the samemanner as shown in Figure 2.

A vertically movable die member 21a is shaped in the same manner as thedie'member 21 shown in Figure 2 with the exception that the slanting diesurface 28 is provided with a bulged portion 28a which isso positionedas to engage against the lower inner surface of the worn angle bardirectly opposite the ground out portion 52; By pressing downwardlyagainst thelower inner surface of the worn angle bar head Ila, metal isdisplaced downwardly to fill up the ground out portion 52.

This operation transfers the hollow or valley from the top of the anglebar head to the lower inner surface 53, which has the. same slant as thesurface formed by the slanting die surface 28, as shown in Figure 2.

The resulting angle bar is illustrated in Figures 10 and 13, with thehollow portion formed by the die surface 28a being designated by thereference numeral 54.

While it is not necessary in the proper functioning of a reformed anglebar to reform the underside of the angle bar head to eliminate thehollow 54, it may be advantageous to do so and for this reason provisionis made for a final-refinishing die operation to flow suificient metalinto the hollow to fill it up.

For this operation, the angle bar illustrated in Figure 13 is subjectedto pressure between a pair of enveloping dies as illustrated in Figure3, the die surface designated as 55 being positioned sufficiently inadvance of its. position indicated in Figure 3 so that a slight amountof metal is displaced along the length of the bar to fill up thedepression 54. This final reshaping operation also serves to straightenand smooth the surfaces of the angle bar thereby normalizing thestresses therein.

The resulting angle bar is illustrated in Figure 14 .and shows a smoothunbroken angle bar head.

In each of the reformed angle bars disclosed in the drawings,compensation for wear is effected by drawing the foot portion of theangle bar toward the web of the rail II].

It has been found that a draft clearance E (Figure 1) of approximatelyone-quarter inch provides sufficient takeup in compensating for wear butthis clearance may be varied in accordance with that which is found bestsuited for the type of angle bars to be reformed.

It should be understood that the various die pressin operationsillustrated herein not only bend but also displace metal to form theangle bar in the steps outlined by the dotted and full lines. Thegreatest displacement of metal takes place on only a portion of theangle bar head and is not ofsuch a substantial nature as to adverselyaffect the structural loading capacity of the finished angle bar.

One of the structural advantages obtained by the use of a head free typeof angle bar is the diagonal center line of the loading engagementthrust which stabilizes and strengthens the rail to keep it in gauge andin surface alignment. The final shape of the reformed head free type ofangle bar also provides an outer bolting face 24 which is in verticalparallel spaced alignment with the vertical axis of the rail and whichinsures a full contact with the clamping bolt head and nut to facilitatethe even drawing of the angle bars toward .each other. As the bearingwithin the rail fillet wears, the tightening of the bolt causes the footflange of each bar to slide upwardly on the inclined foot flange of therail to adjust for such wear and retain the wedging action against therail head.

The die pressing operations described herein are most easily effected bypreheating the angle bars, which is the preferred form of this invention. By substituting a rolling device having a contour of the anglebar shape desired for the upper die members 21 and 3| illustrated, andoperating such a device along the length of the angle bar, the sameconverted head free type of angle bar can be obtained as those shown inthe drawings.

Although the form of rail joint angle bars may differ, the essentialsteps in reforming such bars will be substantially those describedherein, resulting in the production of head free types of bars'havingthe structural advantages that appear in the foregoing descriptions.

While several embodiments of the present invention have been shownherein, it will, of course, be understood that the invention is not tobe limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and it istherefore contemplated by the appended claims to cover all suchmodifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of thisinvention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In the method of reforming angle bars for rail joints from a railhead engaging type to a rail fillet engaging and rail head free type,the steps which comprise applying pressure against the lower innercorner of the bar head to flow metal therefrom, and confining portionsof the bar head on both sides of the top inner corner of the bar head inspaced relation from said corner to restrain the flow of metal at theconfined portions while .allowing flow of metal to build up the topinner corner of the bar head beyond the normal inner face thereof forcreating a rail fillet engaging portion which spaces the previous railhead engaging portion of the bar head from the rail.

2. The method of reforming an angle bar for rail joints which comprisescutting out cracked portions of the rail bar head, subjecting a portionof the bar head to pressure betwen reshaping dies to displace materialthereof into the cut out portions, and simultaneously applying pressureagainst the lower inner corner of the bar head to flow metal therefromwhile confining portions of the bar head on both sides of the top innercorner to restrain the fiow of metal at the confined portions whileallowing flow of metal to increase the width of the bar head forcreating a rail fillet engaging portion.

3. The method of reforming an angle bar for rail joints from a headcontact type of-bar into a head free type of bar which comprises seatingthe angle bar in an inverted angular position in the die with the outerface of the bar web and a portion of the top of the bar head in seatedengagement with the die and with the portion of the die adjacent therail head contact portion of the bar head spaced from said portion, anddisplacing metal of the bar head diagonally beyond the normal inner faceof the bar head to form an extended rail fillet bearing portion and tomove said rail contact portion 'of the bar head into engagement withsaid adjacent portion of the die, said displacing and moving beingeffected by means of die pressure applied against the head portion ofthe bar pposite to the original rail head contact surface of the barhead.

4. The method of reforming a rail joint angle bar having. a head portionwith angularly disposed rail free and rail contact top surfaces, a footportion and a connecting web from a head contact type of bar into a headfree type of bar which comprises seating the outer face of the web andthe adjacent rail free surface of the head on complementary surfaces ofaholding die member and with the rail contact surface of the bar headinitially spaced from an additional adjacent surface of said die,exerting a deforming pressure against the head of the bar opposite saidrail contact surface, said deforming pressure simultaneously exerting aside thrust 'againsta portion of the bar in spaced relation from the barportion being deformed for holding the angle bar in its seated positionduring said deformation, said deforming pressure displacing the metal ofthe bar head beyond the normal inner face of the bar head into anextended rail fillet engaging portion and moving the original railcontact surface into engagement with said additional adjacent surface ofthe die.

5. The method of reforming a rail joint angle bar having a head portionwith angularly disposed rail free and rail contact top surfaces, a footportion and a connecting web, from a head contact type of bar into ahead free type of bar which comprises seating the angle bar in aninverted angular position on a holding die member with the outer face ofthe web and the rail free surface of the bar head complementallyengaging surfaces of the die member and with the rail contact surface ofthe bar head initially spaced from an additional adjacent surface of thedie member, exerting a vertically movable deforming pressure against thehead of the bar opposite said rail contact surface, said deformingpressure being exerted along an axis immediately adjacent the foot ofsaid bar for exerting a side thrust thereagainst to hold the bar in itsseated position while being deformed, said deforming pressure displacingthe metal of the bar head beyond the normal inner face of the bar headinto an extended rail fillet engaging portion and moving the originalrail contact surface into engagement with said additional adjacent diesurface, and finally subjecting the angle bar to reshaping pressures forsmoothing and straightening the surfaces thereof and normalizing thestresses therein.

6. The method of reforming a rail joint angle bar having a head portionwith angularly disposed rail free and rail contact top surfaces, a footportion and a connecting web from a head contact type of bar into a headfree type of angle bar which comprises, grinding away localized crackedareas in the top rail contact surface of said bar, seating the angle barin an inverted angular position on a holding die member with the outerface of the web and the rail free surface of the bar head complementallyengaging surfaces of the die member, and the rail contact surface ofthe-bar head being initially spaced from an additional adjacent surfaceof the die member, exerting a vertically movable deforming pressureagainst and along the length of the head of the bar opposite said railcontact surface for displacing metal of the bar head beyond the normalinner face of the bar head into an extended rail fillet engagingportion, moving the original rail contact surface into engagement withsaid additional adjacent die surface, and bulging metal from areas onthey lower portion of the head opposite said ground-out areas to fill insaid last-mentioned areas, said deforming pressure being exerted alongan axis immediately adjacent the foot of said bar for exerting a sidethrust thereagainst to hold the bar in its seated position while beingdeformed.

7. The method of reforming a rail joint angle bar having a head portionwith angularly disposed rail free and rail contact top surfaces, a footportion and a connecting web from a head contact type of bar into a headfree type of angle bar which comprises, grinding away localized crackedareas in the top rail contact surface of said bar, seating the angle barin an inverted angular position on a holding die member with the outerface of the web and the rail free surface of the bar head complementallyengaging surfaces of the die member, and the rail contact surface oftthebar head being initially spaced from an additional adjacent surface ofthe die member, exerting a vertically movable deforming pressure againstand along the length of the head of the bar opposite said rail contactsurface for displacing metal of the bar head beyond the normal innerface of the bar head into an extended rail fillet engaging portion,moving the original rail contact surface into engagement with saidadditional adjacent die surface, bulging metal from areas on the lowerportion of the head opposite said ground-out areas to fill in said lastmentioned areas, said deforming pressure being exerted along an axisimmediately adjacent the foot of said bar for exerting a side thrustthereagainst to hold the bar in its seated position while beingdeformed, and finally subjecting said deformed angle bar to additionalreshaping pressures for filling in the depressed areas on the lowerportion of the head and for smoothing the surfaces of the bar andnormalizing the stresses therein.

8. The method of reforming angle bars for rail joints from a. rail headengaging type to a rail fillet engaging and rail head free type whichcomprises applying pressure against the lower inner corner of the barhead to flow metal therefrom, confining portions of the bar head on bothsides of the top inner corner of the bar head in spaced relation fromsaid corner to restrain the fiow of metal at the confined portions whileincreasing the width of the bar head for creating a rail fillet engagingDOrtion thereon which spaces the previous rail head engaging portion ofthe bar head from the rail, and subsequently smoothing the surfaces ofthe thus reformed angle bar by subjecting the bar to pressure betweenfinishing dies which completely envelope said bar.

9. The method of reforming an angle bar for rail joints from a rail headengaging type of bar into a. rail head free type which comprises seatingthe bar in an inverted angular position in a die member which engagesthe outer face of the bar web from the foot portion of the bar to anintermediate portion of the web in spaced relation from the head portionof the bar and which is spaced from said web portion of the bar fromsaid intermediate portion to said head portion, said die also having asurface engaging the rail head contacting portion of the bar head and anadditional surface spaced from the top of the bar in the die, thereaftertotally enveloping the reformed bar in shaping dies, subjecting theenveloped bar to die pressure, and flattening the outer face of the barweb.

LAWRENCE 8.

